8. Vocabularies: Tag your event with any categories that apply to your event. We can also take care of that for you. Hold down Ctrl (PC users) or Option (Mac users) to choose more than one category.

9. If you wish to preview how your event will look on the calendar, click “Preview.”

10. To post your event, click “Save.”

If you have questions or concerns, please see the FAQs below. If your question or concern is not addressed, contact Features Editor Tony Mancuso at 217-351-5219 or submit a contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I post in the “Event description” field?

We ask that you include all crucial details about the event in the “event description” field (but if you’re working from a press release, please hone it down to a manageable length). This allows us to see all of the event’s information — including time, date and location — in one place and catch any mistakes in the event’s other fields.

I don't understand the "From date" and "To date" fields.

The date entered in these fields should be the same. If you click the field, a calendar will appear, making it easier to select your date. Please enter the event’s start time in box to the right of the “From date” field and the end time in the box to the right of the “To date” field. If the event lasts/repeats more than one day, click on the “repeat” tab underneath these fields.

With “frequency,” you can choose how often the event happens, from every day to every 14 days and so on.

The “period” defines if the event happens daily, weekly or monthly. In the “Until” field, enter the final date of the event, as well as the ending time. The latter is extremely important because if you forget, it will come up in our system as lasting all day. If you don’t know what time your event will end, put the start time in this field.

Under the “Advanced” tab, you can choose your event to show up on specific days of the week and/or a specific week during specific months, for example, the first Tuesday and Thursday of June, July and August.

If you were able to properly enter your event using the “repeat” tab described above, like if you’ve set it to repeat every two weeks, you don’t need to duplicate your efforts using the “Advanced” tab.

The “Except” tab allows you to omit a certain date from your repeating event. For example, if your club meets every third Thursday, except in December, you can enter that date in this field to omit it.

What if my event happens over more than one day with different start and ending times?

Unfortunately, our “repeat” and “advanced” functions don’t allow you to choose multiple times on multiple days on one calendar listing. In this case, we ask that you submit separate calendar entries for each day with differing times. (This is another reason it’s important for you to submit all of the event’s details in the event description box, so we can make sure your event is in our system correctly.)

What should I include under “Event Information”?

The “Location” field should include only the name of the venue and the street address. The “City” field should include the name of the city only. If your event is in Illinois, it’s not necessary to include it or the ZIP code in this field.

What should I keep in mind while filling out the “For More Information” field?

It’s not necessary to include the 217 area code in your calendar listing. All other area codes should be included, and please use numerals in all phone numbers. Please list your website with either its prefix.

What does “Vocabularies” mean?

It’s our way of tagging and organizing the information you submit. Ignore this one — we’ll take care of it for you. Same goes with the “Event Categories” field (UNLESS you specifically want to request a calendar, such as our Religion, e3 or our Summer Fun Guide, for instance; we will consider your request).

How do I submit my completed calendar event?

Before you do anything, make sure the information you’ve submitted is correct. Once you save it, you can’t go back and change it. To submit, click “save” at the bottom of the form.

Who should I contact if I have more questions about my calendar submission?

Please contact Features Editor Tony Mancuso at 217-351-5219 or via the contact form.